Funds Flying Into Area Airports

PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D. C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today reported that 35 Mississippi airport facilities will benefit from more than $10 million in federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants awarded today by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

AIP grants awarded to Mississippi in recent weeks will be used to support infrastructure development projects that will improve operational safety and efficiency at local airport facilities.

“Airports in Mississippi utilize this federal grant program to improve the efficiency and safety of their aviation facilities,” said Cochran, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “I appreciate the fact that communities also use these improvements to increase the value of their airport facilities as economic development tools.”

Funding for the grants is drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust fund, which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes and other similar revenue sources.  The Federal Aviation Administration oversees the AIP grant distribution.

The grants cover 75 percent of eligible costs for large and medium primary hub airports, while small primary, reliever and general aviation airports are granted 90-95 percent of eligible costs, based on statutory requirements.

The 35 AIP grants for Mississippi will support the following airport projects:

• Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Golden Triangle Regional Airport Authority – $860,802 for airport apron rehabilitation and land acquisition
• Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport, Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport Authority – $762,587 for taxiway construction
• Tupelo Regional Airport, Tupelo Airport Authority – $716,779 for runway safety improvements, fencing installation and runway rehabilitation
• Fletcher Field Airport, Clarksdale-Coahoma County Airport Board – $593, 224 for the completion of taxiway construction and runway lighting rehabilitation
• Hardy-Anders Field Natchez-Adams County Airport, Natchez-Adams County Airport Board – $555,185 for hangar construction
• Columbia-Marion County Airport, City of Columbia and Marion County – $536,384 for airport apron, runway and taxiway rehabilitation
• Philadelphia Municipal Airport, City of Philadelphia – $391,177 for construction of a terminal building
• Eupora Airport, Town of Eupora – $374,194 for airport apron, runway and taxiway rehabilitation
• Ripley Airport, City of Ripley and Tippah County – $367,200 for airport apron rehabilitation
• Trent Lott International Airport, Jackson County – $352,620 for instillation of airfield guidance signs, as well as runway and taxiway rehabilitation
• Clarke County Airport, Clarke County Board of Supervisors – $337,050 for airport apron construction and taxiway construction
• Belzoni Municipal Airport, City of Belzoni – $312,817 for taxiway construction
• Paul Pittman Memorial Airport, Walthall County – $298,200 for hangar building rehabilitation
• Iuka Airport, Tishomingo Districts 1, 2 and 3 – $268,875 for runway lighting rehabilitation and airport master plan updates
• Winona-Montgomery County Airport, City of Winona and Montgomery County – $234,540 for hangar building and taxiway construction
• Dean Griffin Memorial Airport, Wiggins-Stone County Airport Board – $224,100 for the construction of a fuel facility and the removal of tree obstructions
• Stennis International Airport, Hancock County – $215,000 for acquisition of a new aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle
• Waynesboro Municipal Airport, City of Waynesboro – $214,440 for fuel facility improvements, runway rehabilitation and airport master plan updates
• Okolona Municipal-Richard Stovall Field Airport, City of Okolona – $180,163 for runway lighting rehabilitation
• Booneville/Baldwyn Airport, Prentiss County – $173,610 for runway safety area improvements, airport apron rehabilitation, tree obstruction removal and airport master plan updates
• Columbus-Lowndes County Airport, City of Columbus – $166,157 for tree obstruction removal
• Hollandale Municipal Airport, City of Hollandale – $160,425 for the installation of perimeter fencing
• A. Moore Airport, City of Lexington – $154,216 for erosion control repairs
• Key Field Airport, Meridian Airport Authority – $150,000 for the acquisition of a replacement power sweeper
• New Albany-Union County Airport, City of New Albany and Union County – $150,000 for the installation of a runway vertical/visual guidance system
• Cleveland Municipal Airport, City of Cleveland – $150,000 for taxiway rehabilitation
• McComb/Pike County/John E. Lewis Field Airport, City of McComb – $150,000 for the installation of perimeter fencing
• Louisville Winston County Airport, City of Louisville – $150,000 for access road construction, runway rehabilitation and airport master plan updates
• Roscoe Turner Airport, City of Corinth and Alcorn County – $150,000 for the installation of perimeter fencing and airport apron rehabilitation
• Vicksburg Municipal Airport, City of Vicksburg – $144,675 for the installation of a runway vertical/visual guidance system and tree obstruction removal
• James H. Easom Field Airport, City of Newton – $135,450 for acquisition of land
• V. Montgomery Airport, City of Forest – $120,852 for tree obstruction removal
• Houston Municipal Airport, City of Houston – $113,004 for taxiway construction
• Picayune Municipal Airport, City of Picayune – $75,600 for design of a taxiway project and airport master plan updates
• Prentiss-Jefferson Davis County Airport, City of Prentiss, Mississippi – $74,500 for airport apron rehabilitation and airport master plan updates